The Right Way to Brew Chemex Coffee

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With its all-glass body and specialized filters, the Chemex can seem a little intimidating. But the thing is as easy to use as it is handsome to look at. (Read: very easy.) Here, a step-by-step guide to getting a gorgeous cup, every time.

Every coffee maker requires a different grind of coffee (use the wrong grind and your coffee might be too weak or too bitter), and the Chemex is no exception. Shoot for a grind that's about the consistency of kosher salt.

Enlist the help of a scale to ensure you're not using too much coffee in your brew—you're looking for 42g of ground coffee. Don't have a kitchen scale? Measure out about 6 tablespoons. Note that we're using an 8-cup Chemex here.

Two simple but crucial steps at the beginning of the process—rinsing the filter and blooming the grounds—ensure your coffee is balanced and doesn't taste like paper. Start with the rinse: Insert a filter into the Chemex and saturate it with hot water until the entire filter is damp. Congrats. You've just rinsed the filter. Discard the water in the Chemex and move on to the bloom: Add your (carefully measured) coffee to the filter. Bring some water to a boil in a kettle, then take the kettle off the heat and let the water cool for 30 seconds. Pour just enough water over the grounds to cover and saturate them. When the water has passed through the grounds and into the Chemex, your grounds are bloomed.

If you want to really brew by the book, place your Chemex on a scale and add hot water in weighted, timed measurements. Pouring in a slow, circular motion, add 150g of water and wait for 40 seconds. Now add more water, until the scale reads 450g, and wait 2 minutes. Finally, add water until the scale reads to 700g.

Or, just pour periodically. You're not blooming anymore, so you can pour water until it reaches the top of the carafe. Wait for the water to pass all the way through the filter, then add more. Continue until the coffee reaches the glass bubble indicator on the side of the carafe.

You've done it—a perfect pot of Chemex coffee in just about 4 minutes. Unlike, say, a French Press, there's no need to transfer your coffee to another vessel. Simply toss the filter and serve your gorgeous coffee from that gorgeous carafe.